Uranium 'Flap'

CNN coverage of the Speach of the Union scandal was notable for two things. First despite the fact it is obviously a scandal CNN insisted on diminishing the importance of the story by calling it a 'flap' rather than a scandal. The second more interesting point was that the segment began with the description 'growing story' and ended with the statement that the issue is not going to die any time soon. So much for administration assertions that the scandal is over.

What is trully mindboggling is the blithe assertion that the fact the statement was untrue does not matter because Bush did not rely on it in his decision to go to war. That is pure sophistry, the statement was made to make the case for a war with Congress and the US people.

The big issue is what will be the next part of the case for war to come under scruitiny. The current favorite seems to be the aluminum tubes which it was asserted could only be for use in a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment process. I think the more significant issue is going to be the 'phantom coalition'. The administration claims to have the active military support of a varying number of countries which it refuses to specify.